DCU Fanfic: 5 Times Steph Teamed-Up With A Titan
Title: 5 Times Steph Teamed-Up With A Titan
Fandom: DCU
Character(s): Steph, Kon, Poison Ivy, Jason, Roy, Lian, Dinah, Dick, Cassie
Pairing(s): Roy/Steph, past-Tim/Steph
Word Count: 762, 662, 1690, 269, 545 (All together: 3928)
Genre: general/humor/romance
Rating: PG-13/T
Notes: 5 Things Meme. sara_lakali asked for: "Five times Steph teamed up with a Titan other than Tim. (Steph should be Spoiler in at least one of these, and Robin in at least one. The other three times are up to you.)" Five Team-Ups: Kon (adventure with Poison Ivy), Jason (adventure in the past), Roy (adventure in Roy's apartment), Dick (adventures in train surfing), and Cassie (adventures in Tim make-out comparing). This took forever. I'm so bad at these things. @_@
Link: N/A
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Steph-Kon Team Up
She was Robin now, so team-ups with other heroes was a given. Though, Steph had wanted to avoid teaming up with any current Teen Titans just to respect the fact that they probably wanted nothing to do with her since she replaced Tim. Superboy especially didn't want her anywhere near the Tower, so to keep the peace, she didn't go to the Tower on the weekends like she knew Tim had when he was Robin.
Since she didn't go to the Tower out of respect, Steph thought the same respect would be paid to her. No such luck, she thought bitterly as she stealthily landed behind Superboy, who definitely did not belong in Gotham, especially not at night and in the middle of a park. She allowed herself a huge smile when she noticed Superboy hadn't noticed her before she let the grin fade just as she tapped Superboy's shoulder.
“You shouldn't be here,” she said in her best Batman impression.
Superboy almost jumped when he felt and heard Steph behind him. “You!” he shouted.
“Could you not shout?” she asked irritably. “Look, you don't belong in Gotham, so can you leave before Batman shows up?”
“You don't belong here either!” he continued to shout. “Anyway, I'm gonna stick around. If Batman finds out you couldn't get rid of me, maybe he'll fire you.”
Steph growled. “Okay, I'm fed up with your bullshit,” she stated angrily, her patience waning quickly. “You're acting like a jilted lover when I'm the one who lost her boyfriend over this.”
Superboy's eyes widened at the jab. “I'm not a jilted lover! And I'm sure Tim would have dumped you long before you took his job anyway!”
Her eyes narrowed shrewdly. “Just say his name louder, why don't you? I'm sure the inmates at Arkham haven't heard it yet!” she shouted, finally fed up with his behavior. “Look, I don't care if you have a boner for my ex, but leave me and Gotham out of your little snit.”
“Boner? Snit?” he choked out. “Why you-”
“My, my, Superboy and a girl Robin,” a voice said from behind the two superheroes. “What a rarity in my garden.”
Steph and Superboy spun around at the same time to see Poison Ivy surrounded by a large amount of flowers that hadn't been there before. “Oh shit,” Steph cursed to herself.
Superboy just glared at Ivy as he floated off the ground. “Go away, Ivy, or my newly obtained heat vision will fry your plants,” he threatened while Steph groaned.
Batman had specifically told her that if she ever ran into Ivy alone that rule number one was to never threaten her 'babies.' Superboy threw that rule right out the window followed by the rule that she was to avoid confrontation with any and all Arkham inmates until he ordered her otherwise. “Superboy, don't!” she tried to order, but he was already charging ahead.
Steph sighed and let Superboy get thrown by Ivy's plant as she assessed the situation. “Look, Ivy, I don't want any trouble. I only came into your park to get Superboy out,” she said reasonably. “I'll even personal kick his ass back home if he's hurt any of your plants.”
“You must have taken lessons from the last Robin,” Ivy hummed as her plants threw Superboy into Steph.
To her credit, Steph didn't fall when Superboy was thrown nearly on top of her. Actually, she had stepped out of the way. She wasn't going to cushion the fall of an unreasonable jerk. “Thanks, Ivy,” she said, trying to sound sincere as she gave Superboy a good hard kick in the ribs, so he would feel it. “Now, will you leave Gotham before you get us attacked by more Rogues?”
Superboy grumbled as Ivy left to tend to her plants that he had almost crushed. “Sure, right,” he muttered, flying into the air to leave but not before turning around and looking down. “I'll stay out of Gotham, for now, but you better not show your face at Titans' Tower. You're not welcome there.”
“I don't want to be a Titan!” she shouted vainly as Superboy sped off into the night.
Steph quelled the urge to kick at the grass as not to piss off Poison Ivy as she left the park. “Stupid elitist club,” she muttered to herself as she shot off a grapple and flew into the night.
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Steph-Jason Team Up
Steph wasn't entirely sure what happened. One minute she had been in Gotham, the next she was in New York, at the Titans' Tower she was pretty sure didn't exist anymore. Not that she knew much about the Teen Titans, past or present, she did know Robins, and what she knew was Tim only wore the panties once then never again.
She cursed to herself as the first Robin, actually maybe the second for all she knew, walked up to her. “Hey, who are you?” the boy asked, looking her over. “Friends with Raven?”
“What?” Steph asked, hating that she had no idea what the kid was talking about, and she didn't even know if the kid was Dick or Jason.
The boy obviously rolled his eyes behind his mask which made Steph want to smack him. “Your outfit is a lot like Raven's,” he stated slowly, like he was talking to a child. “Whatever, I need to get inside, and you need to go away before I kick your ass for trespassing.”
Steph scowled under her mask, knowing this had to be Jason. “I'm coming with you,” she stated, not letting there be any room for argument as she headed for the Tower.
She knew the kick was coming, so she ducked, letting Jason fall off balance before she pinned him to the ground. “Let's not fight, okay? I need help from the Teen Titans, and I can't really gain their trust if I beat Robin into a pulp.”
Jason broke the pin with a growl, rolling away from Steph before getting into a crouch. “Like some girl like you could beat me,” he said, getting into a fighting stance.
“If you keep up the cocky attitude, I probably could. I always heard the second Robin was not much in the brains department,” she insulted, readying for the attack.
Jason stayed back, scrutinizing her. “Who says I'm the second Robin, huh?” he questioned.
“I don't have time for this,” she said exasperatedly. “Look, Jason, right? I'm from the future, and I really need to get home before I fuck up the timeline or something.”
Jason looked at her for a moment. “How do you know my name?” he asked suspiciously.
Steph sighed. “Long story, but in the future, I was Robin, so knowing who my predecessors were was kind of key,” she said, leaving out that Jason was used as a warning of what not to do as Robin.
“Prove it,” Jason stated, arms crossing his chest. “Tell me Batman's name.”
Steph sighed, glad she did learn Batman's name during her tenure as Robin; some of the time she thought she'd never know. “Bruce Wayne.”
Jason was quiet for a moment, taking in the information. “So, a girl Robin?” he questioned incredulously before looking her up and down. “Cool. Did you wear the little green panties because I'd definitely want to see that.”
Steph blushed at the lewd remark. “Panties went out of style with you,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Can we ask the Titans for help? Like Nightwing? He'd probably be pretty helpful.”
“Uhh, problem with that,” Jason said as they headed for the Tower.
“Why?” she asked, eyes narrowing behind her mask.
“That's why I'm here. Dick and Raven were brainwashed by Brother Blood. The Titans called me to help.”
Steph bit her lip as they entered the Tower. “Oh...” She paused. “Well, I guess if I want to get home, I'll have to help you guys out, huh?”
Jason paused outside the meeting room. “The faster we bring Dick and Raven back, the faster we can concentrate on your problems,” Jason agreed. “There's no way they can beat two Robins. That's a force to be reckoned with!”
Steph smiled under her mask. “Yeah, it is.”
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Steph-Roy Team Up
It had been an instinct to save the little girl. An instinct that had gotten her a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Served her right for playing hero in New York when she wasn't even Spoiler anymore, she thought bitterly. No kevlar, no anything, but she couldn't let a little girl get shot when she could prevent it.
She wished that the shot hadn't gone in her shoulder in the exact place she had been shot in a few months ago, but she saved a little girl, and that was what mattered. Well, that, and the fact the shooter was about to shoot again, but an arrow whizzed by, effectively knocking the gun away.
The girl she had saved wriggled out of her arms, running to the man who shot a few more arrows to pin the gunman to a wall. “Daddy!” the little girl exclaimed, running behind the red headed archer and clinging to his leg.
Steph blinked, wondering which superhero this was. Outside of the Bats and a few Titans who used to be in Young Justice, she didn't really know who was who. Once the red head was sure the man was securely pinned to the wall, he scooped his little girl into his arms, checking her over, noticing a bit of blood on her.
“Dart, are you all right?” he asked, sounding very worried.
The little girl shook her head. “I'm okay, daddy! That lady saved me!” she exclaimed, pointing to Stephanie.
Steph gave a weak smile as she stood up, using every bit of her bat training to not wince from the shoulder wound. “Don't worry; that's my blood on your daughter not hers,” she joked lightly.
The man frowned. “Do you need help getting patched up?” he asked, shifting his girl in his arms. “It's the least I can do since you saved my daughter.”
“I'll be fine,” she lied, but then winced when an old ache from the last wound there came back. “Okay, on second thought, I should get this taken care of, or my mom will think I've taken up vigilantism again.”
The red headed hero raised an eyebrow his daughter's eyes widened. “Oh! You're a superhero, too, like daddy? Who were you? Maybe we know your hero family!” the little girl exclaimed happily.
“Hush, Dart,” the man said, ruffling the girl's hair playfully. “Though, I'm curious myself. You can tell us in the car, maybe?”
“Maybe,” she offered as she followed them to their car, so they could bring her somewhere to stitch her up.
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During the car ride, Steph found out quite a bit about the little girl she saved by chance and her handsome father. A handsome father who was Red Arrow, and Dart was actually the little girl's nickname. Her real name was Lian, though Steph was pretty sure Lian probably shouldn't have told her that.
Somehow, she had distracted Lian into talking about herself, so she wouldn't have to mention being Spoiler or even Robin. That wound was just as fresh as the one in her shoulder.
They soon pulled up the an apartment, Lian shot out of the car, running inside, running up the stairs. Steph glanced over to Red Arrow who just shook his head. “Don't worry about her. Lian's just excited because he Aunt Dinah's visiting. I'll meet you upstairs, all right?” Red Arrow told her, and she nodded, following Lian upstairs.
When she got up the stairs, she saw Lian attach herself to a blond lady who looked up with surprise. “Oh, Lian meant you then, Stephanie?” Dinah asked as she picked up Lian before opening the apartment door.
Once inside, Steph let herself gape. “Black Canary?” she asked incredulously. “Wow, what are you doing in New York?”
Dinah smiled as she put Lian down. “Hey, Lian, can you go get cleaned up and get ready for bed? Your daddy called earlier and told me you had quite the adventure today,” she said as she ruffled Lian's hair.
Lian nodded with a giggle. “Yeah! Okay, Auntie Dinah!” she exclaimed before turning to Steph with a stern look. “When I come back, you're gonna tell me your secret identity. I bet you're bat or something, that's why you wouldn't tell me.”
With that Lian ran off to the bathroom to wash up before putting on her pajamas. “She's a handful,” Steph stated quietly before wincing and remembering her shoulder wound. “Oh, ow.”
Dinah inspected the wound. “Not even in costume, and still spoiling criminals' plans?” Dinah asked teasingly. “I'll go grab the first aid kit for you.”
“Thanks...” she said softly as Dinah left.
Steph let out a breath as she took in her surroundings before the door opened, revealing Red Arrow out of costume. “You didn't run off with that gun shot wound. That makes you a bit less stubborn than other bats, thankfully,” he said jokingly as she was about to ask him something. “Don't worry, I'm still not positive of who you are, but the way you avoided telling my little girl your identity was definitely bat protocol.”
Steph rolled her eyes. “Okay, you guessed right, but I'm not a bat anymore so...” she trailed off before putting out her arm that hadn't been shot. “I'm Stephanie Brown, and you are?”
He gave her a grin as he shook her hand. “Roy Harper, at your service,” he greeted. “So, let's patch up that shoulder, hm?”
Steph smiled as Dinah came back in with the first aid kit. She handed it to Roy with a kiss to his cheek. “I'll go make sure Lian's ready for bed, boyo,” she told him before heading into Lian's bedroom.
“Thanks, Di,” he thanked as Dinah left to check on Lian. “Take off your shirt.”
Steph raised an eyebrow. “Wow, are you always this straightforward with girls? Makes me wonder how you have a daughter,” she teased as Roy rolled his eyes.
“Harper charm, babe,” he flirted lightly as he started to clean the wound. “So what takes you so far from Gotham?”
Steph winced and pretended that it was about the wound being cleaned out and stitched up. “I moved. Uh... Robin told me to stop heroing, and I couldn't really stay in Gotham and do nothing...” she trailed off.
Roy frowned mid-stitch. “Another case of a Robin acting like Batman. It comes in phases,” Roy announced. “I don't blame you for wanting to get out. Gotham's a mess right now.”
There was more Roy wanted to say, Steph could tell, but he probably couldn't say much more without insulting a dead man. “I miss it...” she said quietly as he finished off the last few stitches. “To anyone else, that sounds crazy, but Gotham is my home. It's falling apart without Batman, and now, there's not a damned thing I can do about it.”
Tying off the stitches, Roy started to apply the gauze. “I'll never understand that, but that's what makes you bats unique. You'll fight for even what others wouldn't even try to,” he said encouragingly as he finished up and started to put away the extra into the first aid kit. “You're not in Gotham anymore. You can patrol in this city. No one owns it. Everyone just does their part.”
Steph mulled over that for a moment as she carefully pulled her shirt back on. “Maybe. Before Robin told me to quit, I hadn't really been much help to anyway,” she said before biting her lip. “Not even my best friend talks to me anymore...”
“Make a new start here, then,” Roy offered with a comforting hand on her good shoulder. “Spoiler's welcome to work with Red Arrow.”
Steph looked up at Roy with confusion. “When did you figure that out?” she asked curiously.
“Just now,” he answered cheekily. “I may not be a detective, but I do know a few things about getting pretty girls to talk to me.”
Steph laughed. “Oh really?” she asked, flirting and fighting a bit of a blush; it had a been a while until any guy called her pretty. “So you got me to talk. What do after that, mister hotshot?”
He grinned. “Well, ask her out for dinner for saving my daughter, of course,” he said easily. “So what do you say? Anywhere you want to go in the city.”
“I say yes and warn you I am in no way a cheap date,” she said saucily as she got up, picking up a pen she spotted on the coffee table. “Call me, and we'll talk about when and where.”
As she said that, she took Roy's hand wrote her cell number on his hand. He quirked and eyebrow as she tossed him the pen which caught easily with his other hand. “I'll definitely call,” he told her as she headed for the door. “Do you need a ride home? Dinah wouldn't mind watching Lian until I got you home safely.”
Steph was about to object, but her arm was sore, and there was no way she could protect herself properly if she ran into anymore of the criminal element tonight. “Sure, but make sure my mom doesn't spot you. If I get brought home by a handsome red-head, she might think I'm up to something,” she said jokingly.
“And I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with your mother,” he said with a smile. “Let me tuck my daughter in, and I'll be right out to drive you home.”
Steph smiled back with a nod as she watched him head into his daughter's room. She didn't think a shooting could lead to meeting such a cute little girl and her handsome dad. Maybe something good would come of this. She was hopeful for the first time since leaving Gotham.
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Dick-Steph Team Up
Steph definitely never really thought Nightwing would ever talk to her, at least not when she became Robin. Sure, there had been a passing word or two while she was Spoiler, but she never thought in her wildest dreams he's actually ask for her to join him in Bludhaven, or that Batman would let her go.
She may have been a little over excited, but who wouldn't be? Steph was Robin, and she was going to really patrol with the first Robin in his city! She waited for him, even though the spot he picked was kind of weird. It did have a good view of the train system of Bludhaven.
“Nice to meet you, Girl Wonder,” a voice said behind her, and she tried not to startle.
Mostly, she managed. “Nightwing! Hi!” she exclaimed. “I'm so glad you actually wanted to meet up with me. I thought maybe you'd hold a grudge because I'm not... my predecessor.”
Nightwing raised an eyebrow, though it was hard to tell with the mask in place. “No way. He wouldn't want me to do that, and I've learned better about holding a grudge against another Robin,” he said with a smile, though it seemed kind of sad. “So, are you ready?”
Steph nodded vigorously. “I'm ready for anything you throw at me!” she announced.
“Good,” he said with a real grin, one she was sure he wore as Robin.
When he tossed her a blindfold then gestured for her to follow him towards the trains, Steph started to wondered what she just got herself into.
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Cassie-Steph Team Up
Being at the Tower was one of the most awkward situations Steph had ever been pulled into. She was really out of her comfort zone, and bumping into Cassie while leaving Tim's room just made it worse. She bet Cassie thought they were doing something sordid. Tim didn't exactly see her in that way anymore, and that was why she declined the ride home. She was capable, and Steph wanted to get home on her own.
Maybe after Tim left she could talk to Cassie, ask about the side of Tim that Cassie obviously got to see now. Plus, Steph didn't really need to be back in Gotham tonight, and she didn't want to deal with Tim again tonight.
“Oh, you're still here,” Cassie said from behind her. “I thought you left with Robin.”
Steph knew she was there, but she had been trying to avoid this conversation for a little longer. “Nah, I thought I'd stick around a bit.” She paused, yanking off her hood and mask. “Look, I know a lot has changed for Tim since I 'died,' and that you helped him through a lot...”
Cassie looked very uncomfortable once the words left Steph's lips, but that didn't stop her. “He's lost a lot of people while I was gone, and I think he's pushing me away because I didn't tell him I was alive. If he does, he's not going to have a lot of people to rely on,” Steph said quietly before looking at Cassie meaningfully. “Just because he's pushing away the Titans right now, don't let him push you away. You're all he has left of his old team, right? I just don't want Tim to slip away, and I can't really do anything myself.”
When Steph finished, Cassie was biting her lip. “Steph, he still loves you,” she murmured. “It's clear on his face when he talks about you or sees you.”
Steph shook her head. “It's really cliché, but sometimes, loves not enough. Friendship might be, though, so please, when he pushes you away, push back. I don't want Gotham to swallow him whole, okay?” she begged.
Cassie nodded as she held out a hand to Steph. “I won't let him. I'm pretty stubborn,” she announced, grabbing Steph's hand. “C'mon, I'll fly you back to Gotham, and maybe we can kick some ass on the way.”
Steph took a moment, but she grinned before pulling her mask and hood back on. “Sure,” she said as they left Tim's old room, “but let's make it interesting. Whoever loses has to tell the other about their first kiss with Tim.”
“Hey, I never-” Cassie started.
Steph waved a hand as they left the Tower. “Wouldn't have been able to work with Batman for even a few minutes and not pick up some detective skills,” she said, grinning under her mask as they flew over the San Fransisco Bay. “Don't worry. I'm not holding a grudge, but if you don't want me to know, you better take out more bad guys than I do.”
Cassie snorted. “You're on,” she said as she flew faster, sure she could win, even against a Gotham girl.
Fandom: DCU
Character(s): Steph, Kon, Poison Ivy, Jason, Roy, Lian, Dinah, Dick, Cassie
Pairing(s): Roy/Steph, past-Tim/Steph
Word Count: 762, 662, 1690, 269, 545 (All together: 3928)
Genre: general/humor/romance
Rating: PG-13/T
Notes: 5 Things Meme. sara_lakali asked for: "Five times Steph teamed up with a Titan other than Tim. (Steph should be Spoiler in at least one of these, and Robin in at least one. The other three times are up to you.)" Five Team-Ups: Kon (adventure with Poison Ivy), Jason (adventure in the past), Roy (adventure in Roy's apartment), Dick (adventures in train surfing), and Cassie (adventures in Tim make-out comparing). This took forever. I'm so bad at these things. @_@
Link: N/A
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Steph-Kon Team Up
She was Robin now, so team-ups with other heroes was a given. Though, Steph had wanted to avoid teaming up with any current Teen Titans just to respect the fact that they probably wanted nothing to do with her since she replaced Tim. Superboy especially didn't want her anywhere near the Tower, so to keep the peace, she didn't go to the Tower on the weekends like she knew Tim had when he was Robin.
Since she didn't go to the Tower out of respect, Steph thought the same respect would be paid to her. No such luck, she thought bitterly as she stealthily landed behind Superboy, who definitely did not belong in Gotham, especially not at night and in the middle of a park. She allowed herself a huge smile when she noticed Superboy hadn't noticed her before she let the grin fade just as she tapped Superboy's shoulder.
“You shouldn't be here,” she said in her best Batman impression.
Superboy almost jumped when he felt and heard Steph behind him. “You!” he shouted.
“Could you not shout?” she asked irritably. “Look, you don't belong in Gotham, so can you leave before Batman shows up?”
“You don't belong here either!” he continued to shout. “Anyway, I'm gonna stick around. If Batman finds out you couldn't get rid of me, maybe he'll fire you.”
Steph growled. “Okay, I'm fed up with your bullshit,” she stated angrily, her patience waning quickly. “You're acting like a jilted lover when I'm the one who lost her boyfriend over this.”
Superboy's eyes widened at the jab. “I'm not a jilted lover! And I'm sure Tim would have dumped you long before you took his job anyway!”
Her eyes narrowed shrewdly. “Just say his name louder, why don't you? I'm sure the inmates at Arkham haven't heard it yet!” she shouted, finally fed up with his behavior. “Look, I don't care if you have a boner for my ex, but leave me and Gotham out of your little snit.”
“Boner? Snit?” he choked out. “Why you-”
“My, my, Superboy and a girl Robin,” a voice said from behind the two superheroes. “What a rarity in my garden.”
Steph and Superboy spun around at the same time to see Poison Ivy surrounded by a large amount of flowers that hadn't been there before. “Oh shit,” Steph cursed to herself.
Superboy just glared at Ivy as he floated off the ground. “Go away, Ivy, or my newly obtained heat vision will fry your plants,” he threatened while Steph groaned.
Batman had specifically told her that if she ever ran into Ivy alone that rule number one was to never threaten her 'babies.' Superboy threw that rule right out the window followed by the rule that she was to avoid confrontation with any and all Arkham inmates until he ordered her otherwise. “Superboy, don't!” she tried to order, but he was already charging ahead.
Steph sighed and let Superboy get thrown by Ivy's plant as she assessed the situation. “Look, Ivy, I don't want any trouble. I only came into your park to get Superboy out,” she said reasonably. “I'll even personal kick his ass back home if he's hurt any of your plants.”
“You must have taken lessons from the last Robin,” Ivy hummed as her plants threw Superboy into Steph.
To her credit, Steph didn't fall when Superboy was thrown nearly on top of her. Actually, she had stepped out of the way. She wasn't going to cushion the fall of an unreasonable jerk. “Thanks, Ivy,” she said, trying to sound sincere as she gave Superboy a good hard kick in the ribs, so he would feel it. “Now, will you leave Gotham before you get us attacked by more Rogues?”
Superboy grumbled as Ivy left to tend to her plants that he had almost crushed. “Sure, right,” he muttered, flying into the air to leave but not before turning around and looking down. “I'll stay out of Gotham, for now, but you better not show your face at Titans' Tower. You're not welcome there.”
“I don't want to be a Titan!” she shouted vainly as Superboy sped off into the night.
Steph quelled the urge to kick at the grass as not to piss off Poison Ivy as she left the park. “Stupid elitist club,” she muttered to herself as she shot off a grapple and flew into the night.
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Steph-Jason Team Up
Steph wasn't entirely sure what happened. One minute she had been in Gotham, the next she was in New York, at the Titans' Tower she was pretty sure didn't exist anymore. Not that she knew much about the Teen Titans, past or present, she did know Robins, and what she knew was Tim only wore the panties once then never again.
She cursed to herself as the first Robin, actually maybe the second for all she knew, walked up to her. “Hey, who are you?” the boy asked, looking her over. “Friends with Raven?”
“What?” Steph asked, hating that she had no idea what the kid was talking about, and she didn't even know if the kid was Dick or Jason.
The boy obviously rolled his eyes behind his mask which made Steph want to smack him. “Your outfit is a lot like Raven's,” he stated slowly, like he was talking to a child. “Whatever, I need to get inside, and you need to go away before I kick your ass for trespassing.”
Steph scowled under her mask, knowing this had to be Jason. “I'm coming with you,” she stated, not letting there be any room for argument as she headed for the Tower.
She knew the kick was coming, so she ducked, letting Jason fall off balance before she pinned him to the ground. “Let's not fight, okay? I need help from the Teen Titans, and I can't really gain their trust if I beat Robin into a pulp.”
Jason broke the pin with a growl, rolling away from Steph before getting into a crouch. “Like some girl like you could beat me,” he said, getting into a fighting stance.
“If you keep up the cocky attitude, I probably could. I always heard the second Robin was not much in the brains department,” she insulted, readying for the attack.
Jason stayed back, scrutinizing her. “Who says I'm the second Robin, huh?” he questioned.
“I don't have time for this,” she said exasperatedly. “Look, Jason, right? I'm from the future, and I really need to get home before I fuck up the timeline or something.”
Jason looked at her for a moment. “How do you know my name?” he asked suspiciously.
Steph sighed. “Long story, but in the future, I was Robin, so knowing who my predecessors were was kind of key,” she said, leaving out that Jason was used as a warning of what not to do as Robin.
“Prove it,” Jason stated, arms crossing his chest. “Tell me Batman's name.”
Steph sighed, glad she did learn Batman's name during her tenure as Robin; some of the time she thought she'd never know. “Bruce Wayne.”
Jason was quiet for a moment, taking in the information. “So, a girl Robin?” he questioned incredulously before looking her up and down. “Cool. Did you wear the little green panties because I'd definitely want to see that.”
Steph blushed at the lewd remark. “Panties went out of style with you,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Can we ask the Titans for help? Like Nightwing? He'd probably be pretty helpful.”
“Uhh, problem with that,” Jason said as they headed for the Tower.
“Why?” she asked, eyes narrowing behind her mask.
“That's why I'm here. Dick and Raven were brainwashed by Brother Blood. The Titans called me to help.”
Steph bit her lip as they entered the Tower. “Oh...” She paused. “Well, I guess if I want to get home, I'll have to help you guys out, huh?”
Jason paused outside the meeting room. “The faster we bring Dick and Raven back, the faster we can concentrate on your problems,” Jason agreed. “There's no way they can beat two Robins. That's a force to be reckoned with!”
Steph smiled under her mask. “Yeah, it is.”
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Steph-Roy Team Up
It had been an instinct to save the little girl. An instinct that had gotten her a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Served her right for playing hero in New York when she wasn't even Spoiler anymore, she thought bitterly. No kevlar, no anything, but she couldn't let a little girl get shot when she could prevent it.
She wished that the shot hadn't gone in her shoulder in the exact place she had been shot in a few months ago, but she saved a little girl, and that was what mattered. Well, that, and the fact the shooter was about to shoot again, but an arrow whizzed by, effectively knocking the gun away.
The girl she had saved wriggled out of her arms, running to the man who shot a few more arrows to pin the gunman to a wall. “Daddy!” the little girl exclaimed, running behind the red headed archer and clinging to his leg.
Steph blinked, wondering which superhero this was. Outside of the Bats and a few Titans who used to be in Young Justice, she didn't really know who was who. Once the red head was sure the man was securely pinned to the wall, he scooped his little girl into his arms, checking her over, noticing a bit of blood on her.
“Dart, are you all right?” he asked, sounding very worried.
The little girl shook her head. “I'm okay, daddy! That lady saved me!” she exclaimed, pointing to Stephanie.
Steph gave a weak smile as she stood up, using every bit of her bat training to not wince from the shoulder wound. “Don't worry; that's my blood on your daughter not hers,” she joked lightly.
The man frowned. “Do you need help getting patched up?” he asked, shifting his girl in his arms. “It's the least I can do since you saved my daughter.”
“I'll be fine,” she lied, but then winced when an old ache from the last wound there came back. “Okay, on second thought, I should get this taken care of, or my mom will think I've taken up vigilantism again.”
The red headed hero raised an eyebrow his daughter's eyes widened. “Oh! You're a superhero, too, like daddy? Who were you? Maybe we know your hero family!” the little girl exclaimed happily.
“Hush, Dart,” the man said, ruffling the girl's hair playfully. “Though, I'm curious myself. You can tell us in the car, maybe?”
“Maybe,” she offered as she followed them to their car, so they could bring her somewhere to stitch her up.
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During the car ride, Steph found out quite a bit about the little girl she saved by chance and her handsome father. A handsome father who was Red Arrow, and Dart was actually the little girl's nickname. Her real name was Lian, though Steph was pretty sure Lian probably shouldn't have told her that.
Somehow, she had distracted Lian into talking about herself, so she wouldn't have to mention being Spoiler or even Robin. That wound was just as fresh as the one in her shoulder.
They soon pulled up the an apartment, Lian shot out of the car, running inside, running up the stairs. Steph glanced over to Red Arrow who just shook his head. “Don't worry about her. Lian's just excited because he Aunt Dinah's visiting. I'll meet you upstairs, all right?” Red Arrow told her, and she nodded, following Lian upstairs.
When she got up the stairs, she saw Lian attach herself to a blond lady who looked up with surprise. “Oh, Lian meant you then, Stephanie?” Dinah asked as she picked up Lian before opening the apartment door.
Once inside, Steph let herself gape. “Black Canary?” she asked incredulously. “Wow, what are you doing in New York?”
Dinah smiled as she put Lian down. “Hey, Lian, can you go get cleaned up and get ready for bed? Your daddy called earlier and told me you had quite the adventure today,” she said as she ruffled Lian's hair.
Lian nodded with a giggle. “Yeah! Okay, Auntie Dinah!” she exclaimed before turning to Steph with a stern look. “When I come back, you're gonna tell me your secret identity. I bet you're bat or something, that's why you wouldn't tell me.”
With that Lian ran off to the bathroom to wash up before putting on her pajamas. “She's a handful,” Steph stated quietly before wincing and remembering her shoulder wound. “Oh, ow.”
Dinah inspected the wound. “Not even in costume, and still spoiling criminals' plans?” Dinah asked teasingly. “I'll go grab the first aid kit for you.”
“Thanks...” she said softly as Dinah left.
Steph let out a breath as she took in her surroundings before the door opened, revealing Red Arrow out of costume. “You didn't run off with that gun shot wound. That makes you a bit less stubborn than other bats, thankfully,” he said jokingly as she was about to ask him something. “Don't worry, I'm still not positive of who you are, but the way you avoided telling my little girl your identity was definitely bat protocol.”
Steph rolled her eyes. “Okay, you guessed right, but I'm not a bat anymore so...” she trailed off before putting out her arm that hadn't been shot. “I'm Stephanie Brown, and you are?”
He gave her a grin as he shook her hand. “Roy Harper, at your service,” he greeted. “So, let's patch up that shoulder, hm?”
Steph smiled as Dinah came back in with the first aid kit. She handed it to Roy with a kiss to his cheek. “I'll go make sure Lian's ready for bed, boyo,” she told him before heading into Lian's bedroom.
“Thanks, Di,” he thanked as Dinah left to check on Lian. “Take off your shirt.”
Steph raised an eyebrow. “Wow, are you always this straightforward with girls? Makes me wonder how you have a daughter,” she teased as Roy rolled his eyes.
“Harper charm, babe,” he flirted lightly as he started to clean the wound. “So what takes you so far from Gotham?”
Steph winced and pretended that it was about the wound being cleaned out and stitched up. “I moved. Uh... Robin told me to stop heroing, and I couldn't really stay in Gotham and do nothing...” she trailed off.
Roy frowned mid-stitch. “Another case of a Robin acting like Batman. It comes in phases,” Roy announced. “I don't blame you for wanting to get out. Gotham's a mess right now.”
There was more Roy wanted to say, Steph could tell, but he probably couldn't say much more without insulting a dead man. “I miss it...” she said quietly as he finished off the last few stitches. “To anyone else, that sounds crazy, but Gotham is my home. It's falling apart without Batman, and now, there's not a damned thing I can do about it.”
Tying off the stitches, Roy started to apply the gauze. “I'll never understand that, but that's what makes you bats unique. You'll fight for even what others wouldn't even try to,” he said encouragingly as he finished up and started to put away the extra into the first aid kit. “You're not in Gotham anymore. You can patrol in this city. No one owns it. Everyone just does their part.”
Steph mulled over that for a moment as she carefully pulled her shirt back on. “Maybe. Before Robin told me to quit, I hadn't really been much help to anyway,” she said before biting her lip. “Not even my best friend talks to me anymore...”
“Make a new start here, then,” Roy offered with a comforting hand on her good shoulder. “Spoiler's welcome to work with Red Arrow.”
Steph looked up at Roy with confusion. “When did you figure that out?” she asked curiously.
“Just now,” he answered cheekily. “I may not be a detective, but I do know a few things about getting pretty girls to talk to me.”
Steph laughed. “Oh really?” she asked, flirting and fighting a bit of a blush; it had a been a while until any guy called her pretty. “So you got me to talk. What do after that, mister hotshot?”
He grinned. “Well, ask her out for dinner for saving my daughter, of course,” he said easily. “So what do you say? Anywhere you want to go in the city.”
“I say yes and warn you I am in no way a cheap date,” she said saucily as she got up, picking up a pen she spotted on the coffee table. “Call me, and we'll talk about when and where.”
As she said that, she took Roy's hand wrote her cell number on his hand. He quirked and eyebrow as she tossed him the pen which caught easily with his other hand. “I'll definitely call,” he told her as she headed for the door. “Do you need a ride home? Dinah wouldn't mind watching Lian until I got you home safely.”
Steph was about to object, but her arm was sore, and there was no way she could protect herself properly if she ran into anymore of the criminal element tonight. “Sure, but make sure my mom doesn't spot you. If I get brought home by a handsome red-head, she might think I'm up to something,” she said jokingly.
“And I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with your mother,” he said with a smile. “Let me tuck my daughter in, and I'll be right out to drive you home.”
Steph smiled back with a nod as she watched him head into his daughter's room. She didn't think a shooting could lead to meeting such a cute little girl and her handsome dad. Maybe something good would come of this. She was hopeful for the first time since leaving Gotham.
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Dick-Steph Team Up
Steph definitely never really thought Nightwing would ever talk to her, at least not when she became Robin. Sure, there had been a passing word or two while she was Spoiler, but she never thought in her wildest dreams he's actually ask for her to join him in Bludhaven, or that Batman would let her go.
She may have been a little over excited, but who wouldn't be? Steph was Robin, and she was going to really patrol with the first Robin in his city! She waited for him, even though the spot he picked was kind of weird. It did have a good view of the train system of Bludhaven.
“Nice to meet you, Girl Wonder,” a voice said behind her, and she tried not to startle.
Mostly, she managed. “Nightwing! Hi!” she exclaimed. “I'm so glad you actually wanted to meet up with me. I thought maybe you'd hold a grudge because I'm not... my predecessor.”
Nightwing raised an eyebrow, though it was hard to tell with the mask in place. “No way. He wouldn't want me to do that, and I've learned better about holding a grudge against another Robin,” he said with a smile, though it seemed kind of sad. “So, are you ready?”
Steph nodded vigorously. “I'm ready for anything you throw at me!” she announced.
“Good,” he said with a real grin, one she was sure he wore as Robin.
When he tossed her a blindfold then gestured for her to follow him towards the trains, Steph started to wondered what she just got herself into.
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Cassie-Steph Team Up
Being at the Tower was one of the most awkward situations Steph had ever been pulled into. She was really out of her comfort zone, and bumping into Cassie while leaving Tim's room just made it worse. She bet Cassie thought they were doing something sordid. Tim didn't exactly see her in that way anymore, and that was why she declined the ride home. She was capable, and Steph wanted to get home on her own.
Maybe after Tim left she could talk to Cassie, ask about the side of Tim that Cassie obviously got to see now. Plus, Steph didn't really need to be back in Gotham tonight, and she didn't want to deal with Tim again tonight.
“Oh, you're still here,” Cassie said from behind her. “I thought you left with Robin.”
Steph knew she was there, but she had been trying to avoid this conversation for a little longer. “Nah, I thought I'd stick around a bit.” She paused, yanking off her hood and mask. “Look, I know a lot has changed for Tim since I 'died,' and that you helped him through a lot...”
Cassie looked very uncomfortable once the words left Steph's lips, but that didn't stop her. “He's lost a lot of people while I was gone, and I think he's pushing me away because I didn't tell him I was alive. If he does, he's not going to have a lot of people to rely on,” Steph said quietly before looking at Cassie meaningfully. “Just because he's pushing away the Titans right now, don't let him push you away. You're all he has left of his old team, right? I just don't want Tim to slip away, and I can't really do anything myself.”
When Steph finished, Cassie was biting her lip. “Steph, he still loves you,” she murmured. “It's clear on his face when he talks about you or sees you.”
Steph shook her head. “It's really cliché, but sometimes, loves not enough. Friendship might be, though, so please, when he pushes you away, push back. I don't want Gotham to swallow him whole, okay?” she begged.
Cassie nodded as she held out a hand to Steph. “I won't let him. I'm pretty stubborn,” she announced, grabbing Steph's hand. “C'mon, I'll fly you back to Gotham, and maybe we can kick some ass on the way.”
Steph took a moment, but she grinned before pulling her mask and hood back on. “Sure,” she said as they left Tim's old room, “but let's make it interesting. Whoever loses has to tell the other about their first kiss with Tim.”
“Hey, I never-” Cassie started.
Steph waved a hand as they left the Tower. “Wouldn't have been able to work with Batman for even a few minutes and not pick up some detective skills,” she said, grinning under her mask as they flew over the San Fransisco Bay. “Don't worry. I'm not holding a grudge, but if you don't want me to know, you better take out more bad guys than I do.”
Cassie snorted. “You're on,” she said as she flew faster, sure she could win, even against a Gotham girl.